Effective family history research requires a knowledge of major historical events that may have affected your family and the records about them. Learning about wars, governments, laws, migrations and religious trends may help you understand political boundaries, and settlement patterns. These events may have led to the creation of records such as land and military documents that mention your family members. Your ancestors will become more interesting to you if you also use histories to learn about the events they may have participated in. Major events in the Prussian Poland localities include the partitions of Poland. In 1772 the first partition occurred in which Russia, Austria and Prussia each seized one-third of Polish territory. The second partition was in 1793 and at this time Russia obtained one-half of the remaining territory of Poland, and Prussia took Posen as a possession. The third partition was in 1795. Polish resistance was overwhelmed, and the remaining Polish territor was divided amoung Russia, Austria, and Prussia. The kingdom of Poland ceased to exist.

Former Prussian Provinces

The borders of Poland have changed many times over the years. These changes were referred to as Partitions. There were 3 partitions. The areas listed below formerly belonged to Prussia. Parts of Brandenburg, Ostpreußen, Pommern and Schlesien are now in Poland. Some parts of Brandenburg, Pommern and Schlesien still remain in modern-day Germany. Parts of Ostpreussen are also in modern-day Russia. And a small part of Schlesien is now in the Czech Republic.